I'll always be there
by Midnight.Black.angel21
Summary: Hermione could never give up on Draco. Rated T for mentioned abuse, slightly AU in 6th year.


Hermione was very intelligent, everyone knew that. However, some people still seemed to think that she wasn't smart when it came to how others felt. Which absolutely wasn't true, she was very empathetic, but thought that other students at Hogwarts got upset over silly things.

Draco wasn't the kind of person to get upset over silly things.

She'd noticed it first in 3rd year, right after they got back to Hogwarts. A time of year all students looked forward to, and when Hermione's observation skills heightened, ready to learn. It was during this time that Hermione saw Draco sitting all alone in a compartment, and he looked different. Not like the prat he normally was, not beaming like most of the others, just relieved. At the time Hermione had ignored it, more important things on her mind.

It was 6th year that brought the memory to her attention. Draco had started acting differently, a bit more mature. A bit… nicer. Nobody else seemed to notice, and the one time Hermione brought it up, everyone looked at her like she was mental. So, Hermione never brought it up again.

Hermione had gotten paired up with Draco for a Potions assignment, and she honestly was glad. Now she could try to find out why Draco was acting so strangely. Draco came over to the Gryffindor Common Room every night (a little reluctantly) and they would work on their project. It stayed in a frustratingly calm routine, and nothing out of the ordinary happened, save the scornful looks thrown at Draco and the curious ones given to Hermione.

Hermione had one problem that she needed to solve to get her answer about Draco, and that was that he seemed to grow slightly more terrified and angry as each day moved on. Yet, Hermione couldn't get an answer if he wouldn't tell her.

Eventually the project finished, but Hermione found that she and Draco worked together well, and they began pairing up on every assignment that they could.

Hermione and Draco had grown closer, and Hermione had managed to get a few nice smiles out of Draco, to her delight.

This is why, the one night that Draco didn't show up, that she became very worried. He'd promised her at dinner that he would meet her in the Library, but he didn't show, not even after an hour.

Hermione decided that she should track Draco down, as she was certain that this had to do with his secret. Hermione searched every place she had access to, and finally came to a stop in front of the boy's lavatory. Pushing away the fact that this was breaking the rules, Hermione entered.

To her utter shock, Hermione found Draco sobbing over one of the sinks.

"Draco?" She asked uncertainly. He gasped and whipped around quickly, looking at her with wild eyes. Hermione barely saw anything but the giant bruise on his cheek.

"Draco what happened?" Hermione questioned, bringing a hand to her mouth as her eyes welled up with tears. Draco told her everything that night, about how his father had been abusing him, and how he'd been forced to join Voldemort's army. That night, he showed her the Dark Mark drawn on his arm.

From that night forth, Draco and Hermione seemed to have a stronger bond. They trusted each other with everything.

"Hermione, promise me that you won't hate me?" Draco approached Hermione one night with his baffling question.

"Draco, I could never hate you." Hermione responded in all seriousness. Draco sat down next to her slowly.

"I've been ordered to kill Dumbledore." Draco blurted. Hermione felt so many emotions run through her body; she hardly kept any of them under control.

"What happens if you don't?"

"He'll kill me and everyone I love. My mother wouldn't be safe. Neither would you." Draco said sadly.

"Well, you can't kill Dumbledore, Draco; you just couldn't kill anyone who's innocent." Hermione told him.

"But I'd be killing my mother and you if I didn't."

"Draco Malfoy, don't you dare ever think that if Voldemort killed me or your mother that it would be your fault." Hermione barely kept herself from yelling, as anyone could hear them if she did.

In one moment, Draco was too confused to do anything but what he did.

Draco leaned forward and kissed Hermione for the first time.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips. Hermione's eyes filled with tears, and before Draco could pull away from her, she kissed him again. One tear made its way down her face as she whispered,

"I love you too."

Both of the teens realized that because Draco might not kill Dumbledore, this might be the last time they ever said this to each other. Hermione touched her forehead with Draco's.

"I'll always be there for you Draco. If you need me, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."


End file.
